How did France Get Nukes? (Short Animated Documentary)

France was nation number 4 to obtain nuclear weapons but what isn't often discussed is how they came to get hold of them. So how did they? How did France get Nuclear Weapons? To find out watch this short and simple animated documentary.

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[erickveraurra]

USA: you don't need nukes
France: *did I ask your opinion?*

[CanadaLime]

France was litterly “I’m not stuck in here with you, your stuck in here with me”

[clementlefevre]

france be like :

*This time, if I die, you will ALL die with me !*

USA and UK : "We don't want you Frenchies to have nuclear weapons and you won't be able to do it by yourselves".
France : "Hold my baguette".

[kaalbrak]

U.S.A. : Don't make nukes.
France : Comment ? Que dites-vous ? Navré mais nous ne parlons pas l'anglais ici.

[GuildsmanPirate]

*Mao rears his head behind the table*

That’s called foreshadowing

[robertdixon]

everyone:why the f--- does france need nukes
France:*stares at Germamy* just for fun

[Skanzool]

France had the most advanced nuclear program before WWII but it was derailed by the war. The work of Joliot-Curie was pivotal in the development of nuclear science, in fact you can say he is the father of nuclear science.

[robertspeedwagon]

USA : no nuke for France
Charles de Gaulle : fine, I'll do it myself then

[samarkand]

Fun fact, the USSR took France's nuclear arsenal very seriously, recently declassified documents of offensive plans over Europe the Soviets had showed that invading or or attacking French territory was strictly forbidden in fear or eliciting a nuclear response from them. The plan, if it had been put into motion, was mostly to blitz through Germany and maybe the Benelux, but stop at France, no matter how well the attack goes, without the use of nuclear weapons to then show the US that 'it's done, what are you gonna do about it?' and hope that they too won't resort to nuclear fire after.

[Enoss]

US : The Concil has elected that you don't need nukes
France : I recognize the concil has made a decision. But given that it's a stupid ass decision, I've elected to ignore it.

[olivierpuyou]

Parfaite illustration du célèbre "si vis pacem para bellum"

[keikei]

0:01 Lmao that "How am I running" sign on FDR

[oscarmichel]

US : you can't have nuke
France : *splish splash your opinion is trash*

[rimmerblues]

Also helps to explain how Israel managed to develop nuclear weapons fairly quickly seeing as they worked with the French.
It may've been expensive but not relying on others for your own defensive capabilities or having your hands tied how u want to use them is going to make one feel more secure.

[CG-yqxy]

Although a bit late to the convo, it's important to note that the French nuclear program also laid the foundation for the Israeli one as well (as you might have suspected from this video). Those scientists that were booted had developed enough know-how to develop their own bombs, though unlike the French they had American help. Another lesser known thing about the French nuclear program is that they also indirectly aided the Indian one as well, though more passively when compared to the Israeli one.

[ahorrell]

Merry Christmas to James Bizanet, the superstar of History Matters

[paleologique]

Curiously we never learn that in french school, we were told about the Manhattan project and of course the fact that we are a nation with nuclear power but never how we get this power. Really instructive thanks !

[JamesSavik]

France spearheaded the development and deployment of the neutron bomb. This weapon is designed to explode as an airburst and rather than destroying everything, it releases intense neutron radiation. It kills everyone in its area of effect but doesn't cause mass devastation or long-term fall out. These weapons were key to French strategy in fighting a Warsaw Pact invasion of Europe.

[louisiananlord]

I think De Gaulle was wise for pursuing an independent nuclear military program with themselves. It allowed the US and Britian to fold more into their foreign policy and it allowed France to have more power and leeway after the Suez Crisis. That and it benefited the economy by allowing much civilian technical power and brain-gain to re-enter the country. 🇨🇵🇨🇵🇨🇵⚜⚜